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Monday, 19 June 2017

The Chronicles Of A Middle-Aged Vampire - Part 26

The coffin containing the mortal remains of Frank Herbert Valginky trundled in eery silence through the velvet drapes and onto its mysterious disposal in the crematorium.

The mourners did a sad little shuffle dance called the the "weep them and leave" and departed with astonishing speed.

Soon there was only me and Sheila. May had taken charge of her grieving mother; and Rosa having early on run into a possible source of consolation in the person of Frank's partner...

Once we were alone, Jonathan Stell stepped up and approached us looking sad, sober - and very sexy.

"Ms Schultz, Miss Valginsky, allow me to extent to you once again my sympathies. You will have heard a hundred comforting words today, but none will have been very consoling at all," he paused and took Sheila's hand, "The pain does lessen, my dear, and that dizzy sense of disbelief will fade."

Sheila nodded, her eyes brimming with tears. It struck me once again that we were living two very different realities. Sheila had just tragically lost a doting and indulgent father whom she had adored; I had joyfully disposed of an abusive, cheating lying bastard who had ruined my life.

Both were true perceptions, grounded in palpable and concrete experiences. How easily conflicting truths entangled in the dark and sticky mystery that was a human heart.

Jonathan Stell turned to me and inclined his elegant head. He did not touch me, or take my hand. If he had the sizzling electric desire between us would have been enough to light up a Vegas neon sign.

Even tear-blind Sheila would have noticed that, and though my daughter was a permissive - not to say militantly promiscuous woman - watching her mother and a stranger groaning and groping at each other's groins in the aftermath of her father's funeral would have been a perverse betrayal...

"Ms Schultz, I will call you for the arrangements with regards to Mr Valginsky's remains and the...paperwork."

"Paperwork?"

"You will need some additional documents to present to Mr Valginsky's insurance broker and Social Security - I would presume Mr Valginsky carried life insurance?"

"Yes...No...To be honest I have no idea." I hadn't thought of that. "Yes, please do call..."

We said our goodbyes, and drove home in silence. "Want me to stay Mum?" Sheila asked.

"No sweetie. You go home and get some sleep. I will call you tomorrow." We did the usual mother/daughter hug and kiss, and the moment she was gone I was calling Donnie.

"I'm bloody starving! And not for fish and chips! Where are you? I need to feed!"

Donnie's voice was surprisingly calm; "You ate - glutted in fact - two days ago. You can't feed for the next two days."

"Are you KIDDING me?" I screeched in fury, and realised that this strange almost-emotion of desperate hunger was not quite my own. My symbiont was demanding supper.

"I'm picking you up in half an hour. We are going to a meeting."

"A meeting?"

"Yes, at the VA - Vampires Anonymous. You have to learn to control that craving, Greta. You must master your affliction, or it will master you and you will become a murderous monster."